Make Rural Nebraska Healthy Again Through Food as Medicine

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), through its Office of Economic Assistance, is administering federal funding as part of the Nebraska Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) Initiative 1.2 under the project title "Make Rural Nebraska Healthy Again Through Food as Medicine." This initiative, supported by a $10 million award from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), aims to reduce obesity risk, improve access to healthy foods, and limit reliance on processed foods by enhancing local food systems and school nutrition partnerships across rural Nebraska. The funding opportunity is designed to identify and strengthen regional and local food aggregation hubs and facilitate procurement tools for local producers, with a particular focus on cooperative readiness for school partnerships. The program's performance period runs from January 1, 2026, through July 31, 2027. Eligible applicants include producers (farmers or ranchers), food cooperatives, food pantries, and nonprofit entities. All applicants must currently be partnering with schools or demonstrate high readiness to form such partnerships. The use of funds is clearly scoped and includes investments in cold storage, food safety equipment, community gardens, delivery infrastructure, technology for food tracking and management, and systems for “last mile” logistics that support fresh food delivery from small rural producers to school systems. Notably, these funds may not be used for food purchases or construction activities. Administrative costs are capped at 7.5% of the total award. The program allows for maximum individual awards of $80,000. Fiscal agents applying on behalf of consortia may also participate, with the caveat that no subrecipient within the consortium may receive more than the $80,000 ceiling. Awards will be issued via cost reimbursement agreements. The application evaluation will be based on several weighted criteria including alignment with strategic goals, project design and sustainability, expected impact, and cost effectiveness. Applications that do not demonstrate current or near-readiness for school partnerships will be disqualified. The scoring rubric includes categories such as need for funds, service to rural areas, and expected health impact, with funding recommendations stratified into four tiers: Highly Recommend, Recommend, Consider if Funds Remain, and Do Not Recommend. Applicants must submit a complete application package, including Form 1 (Work Plan) and Form 2 (Financial Workbook), to the official program email [email protected] by the submission deadline of April 8, 2026. An informational session was scheduled for March 12, 2026, providing applicants with an opportunity to ask questions and seek clarifications about the program and application requirements. All entities must maintain a robust financial management system capable of producing verifiable records, receipts, and compliance reports, and they must agree to monitoring and evaluation by DHHS throughout the project term. Reporting requirements are rigorous. All awarded entities are expected to collect and submit outcome data that demonstrate progress toward strategic goals, with a focus on measurable infrastructure and food access improvements. Metrics must be SMART—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Examples include tracking increased volume of food distributed to schools following capital investments. DHHS retains the authority to withhold or recover funds for non-compliance, unsatisfactory performance, or unapproved uses of funds. No funding is guaranteed until a formal agreement is signed by both parties.

Prioritize clear alignment with strategic goals, strong work plan, and measurable outcomes to maximize evaluation scores.